Regal reveals Lynbrook movie theater grand opening details

The highly anticipated Regal Cinemas 13 will open in Lynbrook with a slate of events starting June 17. The grand opening is scheduled for June 21.

Rhonda Glickman/Herald

To address parking concerns near the theater, village officials changed some regulations, which are depicted above.

Courtesy Regal Cinemas

Now playing: Schedule of Regal movie theater grand opening events:

June 17: Regal Family Fun Day: family-friendly movies

June 18: Movies You Love at Regal: Blockbuster films

June 19: Superheroes for a Cause: Superhero movies

On June 17-19, the theater will offer $3 deals on movies, popcorn and soft drinks. All proceeds will go to the Children’s Medical Fund of New York, Variety the Children’s Charity of New York and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Long Island

As the summer blockbuster season begins, Lynbrook’s Regal movie theater will host a slate of grand-opening events from June 17 to 21, culminating with the premiere of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” The announcement came after a series of project delays.

“It’s wonderful for the Village of Lynbrook that the movie theater is opening,” Mayor Alan Beach said. “We are all extremely excited and anticipate plenty of foot traffic downtown from our surrounding communities.”

The long-awaited Regal Cinemas 13, at 321 Merrick Road, will open to the public for the first time on June 17 with “Regal Family Fun Day,” an event showcasing family-friendly films. On June 18, the theater will host “Movies You Love at Regal,” presenting blockbuster films, and on June 19, superhero movies will be shown, with the theme “Superheroes for a Cause.” The full schedule of movies and times can be viewed at regmovi.es/2LJlEVn.

The three-day event will include the showing of 10 recent releases and themed movies for $3 each. The theater will also offer $3 popcorn and $3 soft drink deals. All proceeds from June 17 to 19 will go to charities, including the Children’s Medical Fund of New York, Variety the Children’s Charity of New York and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Long Island. Showtimes were not available at press time.

On June 20, Regal is hosting a “Regal Reception,” a private, invitation-only event that will include a movie screening. On June 21, the theater will have its official grand opening, with the first-run release of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and festivities that will include sweepstakes and giveaways.

The Regal Entertainment Group hired the Syosset-based Blumenfeld Development Group to complete the 83,022-square-foot, $21 million project. The new building replaces an antiquated movie theater that was closed in January 2016 and razed that August. Construction began shortly after the old building was torn down, but the project faced many weather-related setbacks.

At a public meeting on June 4, Building Department Superintendent Brian Stanton announced that the theater passed all inspections, and he gave Regal a certificate of occupancy. He also noted that the company began training its employees for the grand opening.

The theater has 13 auditoriums, 12 of which vary in size from 60 seats to 100. Six are on the first floor, and seven are upstairs. Auditorium 13 is a special Regal Premium Experience theater, which seats 160. RPX is comparable to an IMAX theater, with a larger screen and seats that can vibrate and have built-in speakers.

Amenities in the theater include king-size recliners with remote controls and padded footrests, digital projections with an emphasis on crystal-clear pictures, 3D projection systems, Regal Express kiosks that offer automated ticket purchasing and mobile tickets that can be sent to a smart phone via the Regal app. The only refreshment stand in the building is on the first floor, near the building’s entrance.

“Regal Lynbrook 13 will provide our guests with luxurious and spacious recliners to go along with the Regal Premium Experience,” said Rachel Lueras, Regal’s marketing manager. “We’re excited for residents of Lynbrook and the surrounding areas to experience the best Regal has to offer at this state-of-the-art theater.”

One amenity that the theater will not offer, however, will be parking. The old building had 51 parking spaces in a lot adjacent to the theater, but because of the new facility’s size, there no longer is a parking lot. Beach has expressed confidence that there will be enough parking, though, because most of the shops on Atlantic Avenue and the surrounding municipal lots are not in use during peak movie hours in the evenings and on weekends.

In addition, the company Impressive Parking struck a deal with village officials to provide valet parking. Cars will be driven to the nearby Pistilli building, at 303 Merrick Road, for $5 per vehicle. When the building is in use during the day, 50 spots will be available, and there will be 120 vacant spaces at night and on weekends.

In addition, Beach said, officials have an agreement with Regal that there must be 695 parking spaces in the village that permit four-hour parking for the theater so patrons can go to the movies without worrying about two-hour parking restrictions.